Turning Points Special: Sandcastles and Playmates
by WynterSky
Summary: During a stay in Suna, Itachi takes on a less-than-ethical mission to support himself and his brother, and Sasuke sneaks out and makes an unexpected friend. Written for Turning Points, but should stand on its own okay.


****[A/N: Finally got this one-shot done, covering the Sasuke-Gaara backstory. Chapter 24 of Turning Points might make a little more sense now, and this will also be relevant to Part II. I have a new poll up on my profile, please go take a look!]

**Sandcastles and Playmates**

"But why can't I play outside, Aniki?" Sasuke pouted, staring sulkily out the window at the sandy streets outside.

Itachi pulled him back and closed the curtain. "We can't let anyone know we're here or the job will be ruined," he explained curtly. "Once it's over and I've been paid, then you can go outside."

Sasuke sighed then threw himself onto the bed and began poking distractedly at Risu-tan. After almost two years of being Sasuke's constant companion, the furry toy was looking considerably the worse for wear; both of its original eyes had been lost, although Itachi had found buttons to replace them, and its tail had been reattached once or twice.

If they had been back in Konoha, Sasuke would have probably been past playing by this point; he would have been in the Academy for at least a year or two by now, and most children undergoing ninja training soon passed up toys for child-sized weapons. However, with Itachi's position it was difficult for him to train his brother safely, so he tried to keep Sasuke sheltered and out of the way. If that also meant that Sasuke could have something resembling a proper childhood, Itachi didn't mind at all.

"What if I make sure nobody sees me?" Sasuke persisted.

"This is a shinobi village, there's no way to guarantee that no one will see you," Itachi said firmly.

"Pleeease, Aniki, I've been stuck in here ever since we arrived," Sasuke begged, and Itachi forced himself not to waver.

"You may not go outside until I say so," he repeated, then softened a little. "I'm meeting my employer tonight," Itachi said. "With any luck, the job will be an easy one and I'll be done by tomorrow."

Sasuke brightened a little at this, and Itachi decided not to mention that considering the emphasis his client had placed on absolute secrecy, this being an in-and-out job was unlikely.

He just hoped it wasn't a murder. Things hadn't come to that yet, but he wasn't sure how he could answer Sasuke's questions if that was the case.

Since they had been on the road for so long to get to Suna, Itachi decided they deserved a treat and spent some of his savings on some actual fresh-cooked food instead of ninja rations or instant ramen, like they usually had. It was expensive, but the pay he had been offered would more than make up for it.

After the table had been cleared, Itachi began fastening on his various weapons belts and holsters. It might be just a briefing, but he was always prepared. Also, considering the secluded location where the meeting had been arranged, there was a chance an attempt might be made to eliminate him should his client conclude that he was untrustworthy.

"Otouto-chan, I'm leaving now," Itachi called, looking into the bedroom.

Sasuke was still sitting on the bed with Risu-tan, his back to the door. He did not reply, probably still sulking about not being allowed outside. Usually, Sasuke was understanding of the difficulties that came with the life they led, but he was still only just eight years old, and Itachi couldn't fault him for feeling stifled.

"I should be back in a few hours," Itachi continued. "Stay away from the windows and don't answer the door—if it's me, I'll let myself in. Got that?"

Sasuke still didn't turn around, but mumbled something that sounded like an affirmative. While Itachi wanted to stay and settle things with his younger brother, he couldn't afford to be late.

Even though it was already dark out, Itachi didn't want to take any chances, so he cast a genjutsu to keep himself from being seen as he left their hotel room and locked it carefully behind him. Once he thought he was far enough away not to be traced back to where he came from, he dropped the genjutsu and took to the rooftops. It was night, but the desert air was still warm and close, and traces of the desert dust found their way into Itachi's throat as he breathed. To be honest, he couldn't quite see why Sasuke would _want _to be outside in a place like this.

...

Sasuke waited ten minutes after Itachi left before setting Risu-tan aside and standing up. Itachi would be well away now, and he wouldn't be back for hours—hours that Sasuke intended to put to good use.

It wasn't like he was going very _far_. Really. There was a playground right across the street, it barely even counted as leaving. Besides, he would return before Itachi got back, so his brother would never find out. Sasuke dutifully ignored the little voice reminding him Itachi found out about _everything_.

Pulling on his shoes, which were a bit tight as Itachi hadn't been able to afford new ones for a few months, Sasuke headed over to the door. He almost lost his nerve as he reached for the latch. This would be the first time he had specifically and intentionally disobeyed a direct order from Itachi. Sure, he had slipped up a few times, or forgotten, but this was different.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke lifted the latch and pushed the door open. It was very quiet outside, and even though it was night the air was still warm. Closing the door behind him as silently as he could, Sasuke hurried down the stairs—nearly stumbling once, as the distance between the steps had not been intended for a small child—and into the street.

The playground was barely twenty yards away, but it felt like miles to Sasuke. He almost expected Itachi to turn up before he could get there, but finally he reached the gate. It was locked, so he climbed over the short fence and ran over to the swings. The playground was covered with soft sand that shifted as Sasuke planted his feet in it, slowing his steps slightly and coming through the gaps in his sandals.

Sasuke scrambled into one of the swings and pushed off, beginning to pump his feet to gain altitude. There was some sand in the chains, making them squeak a little, but Sasuke didn't think anyone would notice.

It was a few minutes before Sasuke stopped focusing quite so much on working the swing and realized that he was not alone in the playground. There was another boy sitting on the furthest swing, which was slightly shadowed from the building sitting next to the park. He wasn't making any effort to move his swing, just sitting there holding the chains loosely. It was hard to tell what he looked like, what with the dim light and the full Suna robes that hid the boy's body, but he had red hair and Sasuke thought that they were about the same age.

Sasuke had stopped pumping when he saw the other boy, so his swing was nearly stopped by now. Hopping off and landing in a neat crouch that he hoped looked like the way Itachi did it, he walked a little closer to the other boy. "Hello," he said.

...

The night cold had set in by the time Itachi left the isolated warehouse where he had met with the client, and he shivered a little as he took to the roofs. Stopping atop an apartment building, he studied the papers he had been given. There was a small photograph, and a piece of paper with information on the targets movements and preferred locations.

He took a few minutes to peruse the photograph with the Sharingan, memorizing the target's features. Gaara (Itachi tried not to attach the name to the target, it could hinder things) had bright red hair and a very recognizable face even for a small child. His eyes were pale green with dark rings around them, and the kanji for 'love' was marked on his forehead—it looked like it had been burned in very recently. According to the information on the paper, the target was about five months younger than Sasuke, and Itachi forced himself not to see any reminders of his younger brother in the target's pouty frown. Apparently the target was quite dangerous, even at this young age, which was why the client wanted him eliminated. The target's abilities mainly centered around sand that he could control to defend himself or attack with, often lethally.

Itachi still doubted that he would have much difficulty. There was very good reason that he had advanced through Konoha's shinobi ranks so quickly, and a child would pose little problem.

There were several places the target liked, apparently: Itachi tried the roof of a shopping center near the target's home as well as the training yard of the Suna Shinobi Academy, but without success. One other place was the small playground near the apartment building where he and Sasuke had been staying.

Itachi didn't like having to complete a mission like this so near Sasuke, but it was late enough that he was probably asleep by now. Itachi would be quick about it—there wouldn't be time for Sasuke to wake.

This decided, Itachi took a circuitous route towards the park, not wanting to be seen approaching. Pausing on the roof of a small shop behind the swings, he masked his chakra and surveyed the darkened playground.

The target's red hair was easy to spot. The boy was standing atop a surprisingly sturdy-looking mound of sand, half-shadowed by the play dome it was next to. Itachi pulled out a few explosive tags and a spread of shuriken and was about to pounce when someone else emerged from the dome. A dark-haired child, perhaps a little taller than the target, ran at the mound of sand, playfully tackling Gaara when he got to the top.

The other boy's hair was easily recognizable with its fluffy, stubborn spikes. Sasuke had left the apartment building. Sasuke had encountered the target.

Oh _damn _Sasuke was playing with the target.

Sasuke had managed to throw Itachi's careful planning for a loop once again, it seemed. There was really no way Itachi could go through with the mission and eliminate the target now. Sasuke would be certain to see, and the revelation of what Itachi was really willing to do would crush him.

Itachi sighed. He had been looking forward to having a little money, so Sasuke could stop looking up at him sadly in the market as they bought day-old bread or shinobi rations. He had even hoped he might be able to get Sasuke some new clothes for once—it was getting close to winter and Sasuke would certainly need a coat once they left Suna.

Well, there would be other missions. At the moment, the most important thing was getting his little brother away from Gaara before something went wrong.

Releasing the chakra he had been compressing, Itachi put away his weapons and jumped down into the playground yard. Both boys instantly looked in his direction. Gaara's eyes widened, and the sand construct that he and Sasuke were standing on suddenly collapsed as he lost his concentration, plunging both of them into a heap of sand.

Giving up on his attempts to decide what to do, Itachi dashed over and grabbed a flailing arm, hauling Gaara out of the heap of sand. Sasuke clambered out on his own, coughing and glancing nervously at Itachi.

Gaara quickly shoved Itachi's hand away and stood up. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Itachi knew that letting Gaara find out he had been sent to kill him would not end well. "I'm Sasuke's brother," he said quietly, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. "I need to take him home now—it's past his bedtime, you know."

Gaara frowned a little but seemed to accept this explanation. Taking Sasuke's arm, Itachi began to back away.

He had only gone a few steps when he sensed the kunai being flung toward them. Shoving Sasuke to the ground, Itachi shielded his brother with his body.

A few seconds later, the kunai still hadn't made contact, and Itachi hazarded a glance over his shoulder. Behind them, a wall of sand had materialized, and Itachi could see the points of the kunai just piercing it, barely six inches from his back.

Sasuke was shaking now, and Itachi could feel his heart racing. Gaara was standing just in front of them; clearly he was responsible for the sand barrier. He looked surprisingly calm, considering the circumstances, but perhaps he was just not very expressive.

Cautiously, Itachi let go of Sasuke, who glanced back at the kunai visible through the sand and shuddered.

"It seems that my father is trying to kill me again," Gaara stated calmly. Itachi tried to hide his surprise—Had his client been this child's father? "You should go," Gaara continued.

Itachi could feel several chakra signatures getting closer. His client must have had him watched, in case Itachi had a change of heart about the mission. This was understandable; one didn't want this sort of business becoming public.

"W-what about you?" Sasuke whispered, his voice thin and wavery.

"I will keep them occupied," Gaara stated, taking up a firm stance behind the wall and increasing its height a little as Itachi stood.

Picking Sasuke up, Itachi masked his chakra again and bounded for the roofs. As he took a quick glance back, he could see Gaara drop the wall, and quickly covered Sasuke's eyes as the boy's sand began to wrap around one of the attackers.

Gaara was just as dangerous as the paper had said.

...

Itachi was sure Gaara had taken care of everyone involved in the attack on the playground, but he still hid with Sasuke in an alley for at least an hour before daring to return to their apartment for their things. After that they would have to flee Suna as quickly as possible; it would be foolish to let dawn come with the two of them still in the city.

"I'm s-sorry, Aniki..." Sasuke said finally, sniffling a little bit as he curled up against the wall for the warmth radiating from it. "I just—I just wanted to go outside. I was going to go back to the apartment before you finished your mission. B-but why were you at the playground?"

Itachi hated to lie to his little brother, but he was having to do so all too often. "I was coming home that way, that's all," he said glibly. "You were very, very lucky," he added sternly. "If I hadn't arrived or Gaara hadn't been able to protect you, you would have been killed." Sasuke had almost been killed that fateful night back in Konoha, too. Itachi couldn't stand the thought of being too late to save Sasuke—things had come so close then.

Sasuke started to sniffle again. "I-I know," he mumbled shakily. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."

Itachi hugged Sasuke tight, stroking his soft hair as he cried. "I know," he said gently. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise. Not _ever_."


End file.
